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Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Identity Thief Sentenced to Prison

Miami
(June 19, 2014)Ralph Celestin, the leader ofan Identity Theft Fraud and Income Tax Fraud
Ring with at least 2500 victims has been sent to prison. Personal
identity information from some of the victims was used to file fake tax
returns.City of North Miami Beach
Police Department (NMBPD) investigators, led by Detective Craig Catlin, believe
that Celestin led the “Money Avenue” criminal fraud gang.Upon executing a search warrant, NMBPD found
ID and income tax information stored in multiple handwritten ledgers which provided
Celestin’s fingerprints prints linking him to the crime.

Ralph Celestin pled guilty to:

1 count of first degree
felony ID theft

1 count of felony
aggravated white collar crime

16 counts of second degree
felony identity theft

36 counts of third degree
felony identity theft.

Ralph Celestin was sentenced to a three year minimum
mandatory sentence followed by ten years of reporting probation. Upon his initial
surrender, he paid $80,000 in restitution that will be paid to the victims of
his crimes and the Internal Revenue Service.

“Identity theft is not only one of the most frustrating
crimes that out citizens have to confront, it is also one of the most
frustrating crimes for us as prosecutors,” commented Miami-Dade State Attorney
Katherine Fernandez Rundle.“This case
shows that when investigators do all of the backbreaking case work needed to
meet the requirements of our courts, police and prosecutors can get these slick
new-wave thieves off of our streets.”